Committed
by Wallthorn
Summary: Shortly after his disgraceful return to Asgard, Loki Laufeyson hears the words he could never hope to ever hear: "I love you, Loki. And I always will, no matter the path you choose." Coming from the Goddess of Fidelity, he knows she means them. Loki/Sigyn
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Here's a little story that's been bugging me for quite a while now. I hope you enjoy, because I really just need to get rid of it.**

**_"Maybe that's what it all comes down to. Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way. And maybe making that choice, again and again, day in and day out, year after year, says more about love than never having a choice to make at all."  
__~Emily Griffin  
_**

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah I don't own blah.  
**

**Chapter 1  
**

Loki shifted uncomfortably, causing the Asgardian guard to jerk on his chains. Loki sneered back, moving around again just annoy the guard. The chain whipped around this time, catching the back of Loki's knees. Had this been before the Chitauri, Loki most certainly would have fallen. But now he knew true pain. The chain was nothing.

Truth be told, he didn't know why Father had brought him here. Not after the events that unfolded in Midgard. This was a _family_ event. Laufey's son needn't be here. Not that what Loki said would affect Odin's decisions. That much was made clear by his forced presence at Odin's left, opposite to Thor, at the forefront of the throne room. Loki sneered again. Odin would put up with much grief to shame those he called his children, as much was obvious by Loki's regal dress adorn with conspicuous chains. But Loki was determined to wear his chains with dignity. Those of Asgard no longer intimidated him as they once did. He was beyond them, and they knew it.

That being said, today was not about him. No, today was about Asgardian spectacles and romantic drama. Sif was sending him periodic glares. He supposed she assumed he was _enjoying_ this.

He should be enjoying this, he realized, as he watched the golden double doors open and allow in a graceful woman with flowing dark hair and serene green eyes. She wore a simple green robe tied with a silver sash. Sigyn never was one for adornments. She could light up the room without them.

Sigyn, the Goddess of Fidelity. Every man in Asgard wanted her. And who wouldn't? She was born to be the ideal wife. She would never leave, never give up, she would always be there. And in the mad orgy of Asgard, that was a rare beauty. She was a rare beauty.

Not to mention she had a shrewd mother who had managed to talk Odin and promising her one of his sons. No doubt it was that very same mother who was pushing this event, with all its glitz and scandal. Thor had been openly speaking of marrying Sif for a while now. She must have been seeing her chances at having a daughter on the throne slipping away.

It was all but certain she would choose Thor. Who would choose the Traiter, The God of Lies, the Trickster? He would have killed thousands. He would have destroyed Asgard. He wasn't even Odin's son. He was a frost giant. A monster. She would not choose him.

That left Thor.

So yes, Loki should be enjoying this. He gets the first class seat to watching his brother forced into marriage with the Goddess of Fidelity over his chosen.

But he wasn't.

"Sigyn, as part of the treaty signed by your mother and I, you have been brought here before me to take your pick of my two sons." Odin said heavily. Loki winced at the use of two sons. Was the old man still claiming him? After all this? If so, than he was a bigger fool than Thor, and that was an accomplishment.

"I am." Her voice was gentle, but it still carried the quiet strength from long ago, when she still addressed him.

At that moment, Loki's heart hardened once more. He was going to _enjoy _this moment if it killed him. So he prepared himself to hear her pick his brother, to hear her agree to forever devote herself to that idiotic brute. He prepared to smile and give condolences to Sif.

"Have you made your choice?" Odin asked. Loki could hear the snickers in the crowd. He had to agree. What choice was left to be made?

"I have."

"And who do you choose?"

Sigyn pauses, and looks between the two brothers. Thor gives her a half-hearted smile. Loki felt the sudden urge to hit him. Thor didn't deserve her. No one deserved her. Then her eyes fell on him. He went rigid as they flicked down to his chains and back up to his eyes. For all his determination to remain dignified, he feels the first flickering of his ever-present shame rising to his face. She returns her eyes to Odin, giving him a moment to battle them back down. "My choice is as it always has been," she said. His heart drops.

There is a sound through the hall like one giant intake of breath. This is the moment they have been waiting for, the reveal of the obvious, the word that will set the biggest romantic scandal of the century in stone. It would be a story for the ages, how Sigyn whisked the Golden King from his Warrior Bride.

"I choose Loki."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Here's Chapter 2! Brought to you by my insistent insomnia, also known as my tumblr buddy, wanderingapprentice. Anyway, I need to watch Thor again. Also, I have a habit of putting quotes at the beginning of chapters, so expect that to happen. Like now. The only reason Chapter 1 was spared was because it was mostly written by Wanda anyway. Sorry, dear, but this is _my_ account, if you don't want that to happen then _start your own._  
**

**_"I've committed to nothing...and that's just suicide...by tiny, tiny increments."  
~Nick Hornby_**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.  
**

**Chapter 2  
**

Stark silence falls over the throne room in a heavy blanket. Loki turns to Sif, mouth already open, sneer already gracing his lips, only for Sigyn's words to settle half-way through. In fact, he is the first to react.

"Wait, what?"

And then the excited whispers burst through the hall. Of all the scandals of Asgard, this may be the biggest yet. Loki, chosen over Thor? By Sigyn? Was it to save Thor's heart? It must be, why else choose the Frost Giant?

"Quiet!" Odin's voice rang through the hall. Loki was staring, slack-jawed, at Sigyn. She seemed unaffected by the rumors snowballing in the din. In fact, she seemed amused by it all, her green eyes danced in the golden light. Finally, when the buzz was manageable, Odin asked what all wanted to know. "Sigyn, are you certain?"

Sigyn raised an eyebrow. "Of course."

"Sigyn," Loki said, forgetting himself. There was a growing horror in his mind. "Sigyn, no. You can't-"

"Quiet, Laufeyson!" his guard commanded with another snap. Loki glared, baring his teeth. How dare he interrupt, especially now when Loki absolutely had to convince Sigyn to reconsider.

"Odinson." Odin corrected harshly, and the guard cowed. Odin returned his attention to the Goddess before him. "You're certain."

"Yes." Sigyn said, never losing patience. It actually seemed to increase her humor.

Loki looked across at Thor for a moment, and the two brothers shared a "what is she thinking" glance. But Loki's horror surmounted, and he looked pleading, which Thor instantly acted on. "Father, Loki is banished-"

"If he were not a valid choice, why would he be here today, Thor?" Sigyn asked. The hall was silent once more. When had quiet little Sigyn learned to be so bold? Thor had no response.

Odin broke the silence. "It has been decided."

Loki could remain silent no longer. "Father, no."

"Quiet, Loki. It is not your place to speak." Odin said.

Words that cut him, yet the wound was familiar. There were more important issues to handle. "No, Father, it is my place to speak." He said, loudly. "I will not marry her." He couldn't look at her. He wouldn't look at her.

"That is not something for you to decide. You will marry. It is done." Odin said with a final bang of his scepter. The hall began to clear at the dismissal, and his guard jerked on the chain for him to move. Loki fought. He would not let this happen, not to her. Not Sigyn.

"No, Sigyn." He called after her. The crowd stopped, the whispers stopped, allowing his voice to echo in silence. He didn't care. His attention was on her and only her. "I will not allow this, I will not marry you."

There was a moment in the silence where the two simply gazed at each other, the Goddess of Fidelity and the God of Lies, lost in their rediscovered connection. Loki merely looked at her desperately. _Don't do this, Sigyn. _His eyes pleaded. _You don't deserve my fate._

_No. _Her eyes were calm. _But I accept it regardless._

And before he could say more, his guard yanked his chain hard enough to send him flying into the corridor.

"Come, prisoner, you will have plenty of time to think before the wedding." He said, and Loki hated him for it. "Odin knows why she would ever choose you."

"No," Loki replied bitterly, "not even Odin knows that."

His guard gave a short burst of surprised laughter. "I suppose you are right, Trickster."

It wasn't meant as a joke.

* * *

Loki had been pacing for hours trying to get his mind to stop whirling. There was only one way, and he loathed the very thought of it. But he couldn't allow her to do this. He had to prevent it at all costs, even if one of those costs was his pride.

"You called, brother?" Thor asked as he entered Loki's cell.

"You must convince Sigyn to marry you, Thor," he said, not bothering to hide his desperation.

Thor looked him over cautiously. "This isn't another one of your tricks, is it, Loki?"

Loki wanted to tear his hair out. "No! You may not believe me now, not after Midgard, but no, it is not. Brother, you've seen my path. You know where it leads. She cannot follow me down it. I cannot let her."

"You love her, don't you?"

The question caught him off guard, and, in his shocked silence, an answer came from the recesses of his mind. _Yes._

Thor saw this, and sighed heavily. "I will try, but she has already made her choice public. Repealing it may be impossible."

"You are the King of Asgard, how impossible can it be?" But they both knew better.

"As I said, I will try. For you." Thor left, presumably to talk to Sigyn.

Loki felt a profound sense of relief mixed with the distinct hate that seeps from old wounds. "Damn you, Thor," he said with a slight smile. Then, after a moment, he quietly corrected himself. "Brother."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: Sorry for being so inactive lately. Stuff happened... But, here's an update, as short as it is. The next chapter should be much, much longer.**

**_"Some people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them," I said.  
"Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That's what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway."  
~John Green, The Fault in our Stars_  
**

**__Chapter 3  
**

"You ungracious child! You will not waste the opportunity I spent a lifetime securing for you! You will go-"

Thor knocked on the door. He could bear to hear no more of this. It flew open, revealing a tall woman who would have been beautiful were it not for the snarl on her face. "What- oh." She composed herself in an instant. "My King, welcome. I trust you are here to speak to my daughter about her disgraceful behavior earlier today? I must apologize, she meant no insult and has come around to her senses-"

"Do not lie, Mother." Sigyn said. She sat by the window of their large living quarters, looking out at the Asgardian sky. She seemed nonplussed. Thor stepped in, past the woman.

"Sigyn," she hissed, but Thor interrupted her.

"It is no disgrace to love truly," he said. Sigyn looked at him in surprise. Thor waved at her mother to leave them. "I wish to speak to your daughter alone."

"Yes, my Lord." She said, sending her daughter one last warning look.

"He sent you to persuade me to change my mind, did he not?" She said after the door closed. Thor met her gaze. She was completely composed, her resolution shining in her eyes.

There was no point in hiding what she had already guessed. "Yes."

"It won't work, Thor. He was always my choice."

Always her choice? It took Thor a moment to digest this. It meant the rumors of her choice being to save him were untrue. He had expected as much already, but still, hearing it confirmed relieved him immensely. "You know what you are agreeing to?"

"Of course I do. I may know better than anyone." She looked back out the window. For a long moment, the silence between them remained unbroken, both apparently pondering over their situation. Then she spoke once more. "Tell me, did Loki's betrayal come as a surprise to you?"

"Yes."

"It didn't to me. I saw the signs long before he acted on them."

"How?"

"Because I know him almost as I know myself."

"I wish I could believe you, my lady, but I have seen where my brother's heart is and where it intends to take him."

"Have you, now Thor?" Sigyn asks, eyebrows raised and a face set in a cool stare.

"I have! He's driving himself to misery! To darkness and pain, and emptiness."

Sigyn stood. She looked imposing all of a sudden, dark anger boiling through her. "Because it is from misery, darkness, pain, and emptiness that he came. Thor! You, his brother, and Odin, his father, both of you are so blind."

"Blind! I-" but Thor quelled his anger, and conceded, because there were no memories he could use to deny her words. "You are right, Sigyn. I have always been blind to my brother."

Her anger goes out like a light, and she "Leave me. I have made my choice and I shall never back down from it."

Thor did not budge. "I will, but I cannot do so in good conscious without knowing why."

"Why?"

"Yes, why Loki?"

Sigyn sighed. "Do you remember the treaty talks when we were children?"

"Yes. Your mother would send you to play with us."

"Not to play, to spy," Thor gave a start, which caused her to smile, "Don't be so surprised, Thor. I was the child of an emissary of a people who have no advantage in this court. We are not warriors or revelers, we are the scholars and magicians. My mother needed all the information she could get, and to her I was the perfect tool."

Thor's face hardened. "A traitor, then?"

"Oh, do not be so simple-minded. We were desperate. We were at a great disadvantage, so we used all that we possessed to make a future for ourselves."

"My father respected your people."

"And we him. But your people do not show the same respect he did. Nor do they to this day."

Thor sighed. "And what do these politics have to do with you marrying my brother?"

"Everything." Sigyn said, but a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Or nothing. I'm not sure. In retrospect all I know is that I decided Loki was my chosen during those days."

"How?"

"Do you remember when you found out I had yet to kiss another?"

The corners of his mouth turned up a little. "Yes. We made a pact that whomever took your first kiss would marry you." Thor's brow creased. "But no one emerged from that game victorious."

Sigyn looked at him, surprised. "So he kept his promise after all."

"His promise?" Thor repeated quizzically. "What promise?"

She paused for a long moment, her face settling from surprised to determined. "Thor, I wish to speak with my fiancé. Will you allow it?"


End file.
